Design and construction of trails and bridges in the river valley, whether large or small, play a vital role in shaping the overall character of the existing river valley experience. EDA provided trail planning and design assistance to the City of Edmonton with an important trail linkage to a new pedestrian bridge crossing. The new 2 KM trail included an initial corridor assessment followed by an analysis of several route alternatives before a final route was determined. The final trail has a soft pack, granular tread as well as several timber stairways on steeper slopes. The trail layout links to two new river valley footbridges with adjacent residential communities.
EDA provided landscape architectural services for the design and construction of Edmonton’s Royal Canadian Mountain Police (R.C.M.P.) Division ‘K’ building. Regimented paving and planting is reflective of the since or order epitomized by the R.C.M.P.. Material selection and patterning compliment the building façade and extends form and patterning into the landscape.
EDA completed a concept development study and detailed design for a multi use trail corridor located between 109th and 110th Streets, from Jasper Avenue to 97th Avenue. The corridor extends beyond traditional cyclist, pedestrian and inline skater needs, to include the necessary infrastructure to operate a streetcar. For most of the length of the corridor, the streetcar rail line and multi-use trail function adjacent to one another, similar to many European scenes. The trail also successfully crosses a major arterial roadway with an at-grade crossing.
The Ribbon of Steel project included a variety of other elements introduced to provide an aesthetic continuity, complimentary to the surrounding community, and one that speaks to the history of the corridor. Surface treatments, lighting, furnishings, and nodal plazas were also developed.
This project was the recipient of a City of Edmonton, Urban Design Award in 1999 for successful Implemented Urban Design Plans.
Envision 109 was launched by the City of Edmonton to involve the public and stakeholders in the development of short and long-term streetscape concept designs that will improve the look, function and feel of a 3.2km stretch of 109 Street that transverses some of the City’s historic communities.
The designs will address the needs of drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and transit riders who use the 109 Street area and will consider opportunities to enhance accessibility, safety, furnishings, signage, surface treatments, public art, lighting, public spaces and more.
Two streetscape concept design options will be
1) Short term off-street improvements - improvements to the public realm that do not involve reconstruction of the
2) Long term road/streetscape improvements - reconstruction of roadway that envisions a more pedestrian oriented street.
The development of streetscape concept designs for the 109 Street corridor will need to find a balance between the desire to improve the livability of the street for those who live and work in the surrounding neighbourhoods while maintaining the street’s function as an arterial road, carrying existing and anticipated traffic volumes from south Edmonton.
The process involves extensive public consultation consisting of workshops with internal stakeholders and community leagues, open houses with businesses, residents and commuters and online surveys aimed at capturing the diverse needs of those who use 109 Street for work, play or school.
PARK REDEVELOPMENT
EDA was retained by the City of Lloydminster’s to formulate a Redevelopment Master Plan for their prized showcase Park. The purpose of the plan was to provide the City with a vision and strategy for the upgrading of the park to meet the current and forecasted needs of the users. Community and stakeholder input were paramount in developing the vision and eventually the Redevelopment Master Plan for the park. A series of conceptual options were developed for the park which balanced the needs of park users with environmental and other site considerations. The conceptual options were refined into a single plan based on input from the Project Steering Committee.
EDA developed a number of planning and design recommendations for the rejuvenation of the main lake-front activity area adjacent the Park Centre at Lloydminster’s Bud Miller Park. The recommendations explored a range of options that looked at possible building expansion, a new water playground, an accessible dry playground addition as well as numerous site upgrades. Phase 1 implementation of these upgrades focused on the Water Playground, lakefront plazas and pedestrian connections.
PHASE 1 – WATER PLAYGROUND, ACCESSIBLE PARK, PLAZAS AND CONNECTIONS
The original water playground, which was designed by EDA back in the 80’s was also decommissioned as part of the implementation package. The new water playground was designed as a re-circulating system with water storage and chemical treatment, a system with the ability to be converted to a flow-thru system. Over 20 different spray activities were incorporated into a surface area of over 500m2 including overhead, low toys, and ground sprays, with a central focus toy that incorporates both water and sound. The entire play experience is on a programmable circuit activated by the users.
The circular play surface is surrounded by a concrete seat-wall that allows an interactive viewing opportunity while controlling access. Because Bud Miller is an all season park, the design looked beyond the waterplay component itself and considered the context within the park beyond the summer months with the incorporation of a number of pedestrian connections and activity areas including a 300m2 reception plaza, an 80m2 lake-front plaza, and a 250m2 recognition plaza where plaques can be added over time recognizing those who make contributions to the success of the park. Commissioned in 2014, the Bud Miller Park Waterpark continues to be a favorite summer destination for children and families throughout the City of Lloydminster and surrounding areas. The total construction value for phase 1 was 1.8 million dollars.
The former Prince Rupert School site was subdivided to accommodate a future tri-partnership building for the Community League, TERRA, and Thai Associations, as well as a stormwater facility to reduce the risk of flooding in the Prince Rupert neighbourhood. As a subconsultant to an engineering firm, EDA provide landscape architectural services beginning with the examination of possible layout options for the subdivision boundary that would meet both the needs of the tri-partnership as well as the spatial requirements for the storm water facility. EDA’s involvement extended through preliminary and detail design to construction management support on an on-call basis. The design solution was an innovative use of bioswales and a bioretention area at the base of the dry pond help reduce the volume and improve the quality of water entering into the storm system.
The Town of Vermilion recently completed a major streetscape improvement program within their downtown core that was the outcome of a three year process that included involvement by local businesses, the community at large and the Federal Government through an infrastructure funding agreement.
EDA provided community consultation, planning, design, and construction management services to the Town for streetscape improvements. The design included the installation of new signalization at the main intersection on the street and a unique unit paving pattern that was incorporated into the roadway at the main intersection and several mid block crossings. The streetscape also features a custom designed arbor structure identified with the Town’s name.
Prince’s Island Park is recognized as the premier Urban Park in the City of Calgary. It functions as a natural refuge for local residents and a major regional centre for festivals and civic celebrations. This dual function places diverse demands on the park, from a very broad range of users. Whether or not the Park could or should be expected to meet these increasing demands in the future, was a key issue to be resolved.
EDA worked closely with the City of Calgary Parks and Recreation Department, other project team consultants, and a Public Steering Committee representing key stakeholders, to identify a “vision” to guide the plan. An extensive market analysis and public consultation program provided a strong basis for the vision statement for presentation to City Council.
Since approval by Council in 1997, EDA assisted the City with the construction of over 8 million dollars in park facility upgrades.
EDA was retained by the City of St. Albert as the Landscape Architectural Consultant for the upgrading of Lacombe Lake Park. The main goal for the upgrading of this popular community park was to make the lake more accessible to a more diverse group of users. This challenge was met with a plan to lessen the grade around the perimeter of the lake, reducing an erosion problem, and allowing accessibility to the water’s edge. The south shore was completely reshaped to create a small cove with a curvilinear concrete stair stepping into the water providing seating for viewing of activity on and around the lake and access for skaters in the winter. At either end of the cove step is a lookout point elevated a metre off the water surface connecting to timber boardwalks that completes the hard surface edge of the south shore.
In the second phase of development, EDA worked with architects to complete the design and construction of a unique earth-shelter style warm up and washroom building. Trail connections linking the park with the Red Willow Park trail system were also completed.
Project Elements
Lake Edge Grading and Naturalization
Trail and Rest Node Improvements
Washroom Skate change Building
Concrete Cove and Seating Steps
Boardwalk and Plaza Development
Decorative Site Lighting and Furniture
Heavy Timber Step Seating Area
Site Landscaping and Naturalization
Skating Area Flood Lighting
EDA provided landscape design services to complement the engineering of this stormpond retrofit project in south Edmonton. EDA designed and presented three options for landscape development to residents of the Duggan neighbourhood. With overwhelming support, the community selected the bioretention option as their preferred option. With the addition of this non-traditional low impact development component of the stormpond, this initiative became a demonstration project for the City of Edmonton. Clear and detailed notes and drawings for the proper construction and protection of the bioretention area were seen by EDA as critical to the success of this project; as will be a hands on approach to construction management during crucial stages of the construction project.
The University was interested in repurposing a University Services vehicle parking lot and service area that was underutilized for parking and had become a strong pedestrian desire line for students moving between the Stadium Parkade and the Engineering Sector. The space was also flanked on one side by a series of ground mounted intake air fans for the adjacent GSB Building which added to the unappealing nature of the space. EDA provided design services to transition the space into a more pedestrian friendly circulation route. The initial plan was to screen the air intake units with a sound absorbing fence. The University however wanted any fencing to be transparent due to vandalism concerns, and so a water feature was developed to wash out the dull humming sound of the air intake units. This provided the opportunity to expand the circulation route into a comfortable seating area for students and staff to sit and relax or have lunch.
Initially, an excitingly ambitious vision by the Owners Group, Salisbury Village was planned as a mix of high and medium density residential including high-rise structures, paired with an arterial commercial “village”, and interlaced with natural and developed open space. EDA’s primary role was to provide the conceptual design development of the community open space system, which started with the retention and enhancement of a natural wetland component. With Sustainability as one of the main focuses of the development, street-side bio-swales were envisioned to carry surface drainage through the community to the storm water management facility, which then made its way through a series of stream course features and out through the wetland. Such elements as wildlife viewing components, a water-play plaza, community garden, sports fields, and a community an interpretive centre were considered. At the centre an Eco Discovery Park captured the Sustainability/Ecology story with the introduction of an interactive play experience, that focussed on elements of nature, ecology, alternative energy and science.
Site planning and design for Rutherford House Historic Site and Chancellors’ Garden, University of Alberta was completed in 2002-03 for the Friends of Rutherford House Society. The project involved the heritage assessment and site planning of enhancements to the grounds of Rutherford House including a new Chancellors Garden on the site. The project required detailed investigation of the site’s historical development and current context as part of the U of A campus. Design solutions respected and interpreted the sites history while catering for current programming for the grounds and campus uses.
Wolf Willow Ridge is an upscale residential subdivision situated in the southwest portion of Edmonton. EDA’s was part of a multidisciplinary team involvement in the design of this project. Our role included the conceptual and detail design of hard and soft landscape elements including entrance features, corridor and intersection treatments, trail development, as well as street and entrance signage. As part of the design process, EDA produced construction documents as well as rendered landscape plans (shown above). The landscape plans created by EDA were used to market the subdivision to prospective residents at various stage of the project.
EDA Planning + Urban Design was retained by the City of Edmonton and the Old Strathcona Foundation to plan, design and implement the development of a new streetscape for this historic street in south Edmonton. The firm provided the detail design for the layout of the street as well as the design of all of the specific furnishing elements that make up the streetscape. Benches, waste receptacles, signage, kiosks, bus shelters and lighting were all customized to reflect the historic character of the street. Completed in the mid 1980’s, this award winning project set the standard for many subsequent streetscape developments throughout Alberta. Many of the innovative design solutions pioneered on this project are still used on streetscape projects today. Since the completion of the streetscape, Whyte Avenue has grown to become one of the most successful and popular commercial districts in the city.
EDA was retained by the City of Edmonton to develop a preliminary design for Bulyea Heights Park in addition to detailed design plans for a parking lot expansion and grading for a segment of land adjacent to a new residential development. The purpose of the Preliminary Plan was to refine park features proposed in a previously completed Conceptual Plan. The Plan therefore provided greater detail on a parking lot expansion, pedestrian circulation, seating nodes, fields, a proposed waterpark and an informal skating area. A key outcome of the project was refinements to cost estimates, both for the preliminary plan features and the detailed design components, to allow the City to allocate budget accordingly moving forward.
The North Saskatchewan River Valley provides the citizens of the Edmonton region with one of the largest and most continuous areas of urban parkland in North America. River Valley park space within Edmonton’s boundaries alone encompasses 7400 ha of land. The provision of a continuous river valley links from Edmonton to the communities of Devon and Fort Saskatchewan has been a long term dream of many people.
For over a decade, EDA has provided assistance to the River Valley Alliance to help them realized this dream. Some of the key phases of the project thus far have included:
> The development of an Integrated Concept Plan which brought together the plans and ideas of government and stakeholders within each of the Capital Region’s river valley’s seven municipalities. It was important that the plan carefully balanced the desired linkages and access with economic, social and environmental considerations.
> The creation of a Plan of Action that expands on the integrated Concept Plan by outlining in greater detail proposed features and amenities of the open space system, along with high level cost estimates.
> Research and mapping for the Connectivity and Access Initiative land securement strategy which identifies the privately owner parcels that will likely be required for either trail linkages or for other amenity development.
> Priority mapping of the thirty-four projects identified in the Connectivity and Access Initiative report as well as a high level cost estimate for each project.
> East Trails Phase 2
Still in the formative stages, this project, upon completion, will be one of the largest river valley parks in the world.
The Cross Cancer Institute Volunteer Association developed a healing garden in commemoration of the association’s 50th anniversary. The challenge of creating a serene and therapeutic place within a small sloped space bounded by an ambulance bay and a parking lot was great. The design solution was to create a plaza, bounded by a serpentine bench, pergola and custom feature wall, punctuated with planting nodes rich with texture and foliage of various colour. The plaza provides individuals and group users with a flexible space that can accommodate a range of informal and organized activities, while the feature wall provides a location for patients to display their art work.
